Michael David allias Sundaygar Dearboy

Monrovia, Liberia: The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) on Tuesday, January 8, 2008 begun its public hearings with a call for all Liberians to cooperate with the process and testify before the Commission in a truthful and honest manner.

But the first of three witnesses who took the stand accused the renowned Liberian musical vocalist, Michael David, alias “Sundaygar Dearboy” of committing untold atrocities leading to the death of his sister in his home town, Gardour, Grand Bassa County.

Today’s hearing was held in camera and broadcast live throughout the country. The TRC is conducting the program under the theme: “Confronting Our Difficult Past for a Better Future.”

The first witness, David Saiware, to the astonishment of all in the Pavilion, revealed that singer Sundaygar Dearboy was one of the commanders of the now defunct National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NDPL) rebel groups that ordered 25 men to gang rape his 16-year old sister Rita who later died.

Witness Saiware, who was 10 years old at the time, said the incident took place in late December 1994, following the recapture of the area from forces of the defunct Liberia Peace Council (LPC).He said because of the incident, he had to abandon school. He later moved to another relative.

He alleged that Sundaygar Dearboy was an NPFL Commander who hated odd numbers. “When ever he counts a group and there is an odd number, he will kill one person to make the number even. For example, if he counts a group and the last person is an odd number, that person will die whether a woman or man,” little David told the public hearing.

He admitted that he feared coming to testify because of the popularity of the singer Sundaygar Dearboy because as a little boy, Sundaygar Dearboy could do anything to him. “I can say the man is a singer now and is popular. I didn’t want to give this statement but the death of my sister was hurting me; that’s why I made the statement,” David said; adding, “When the people came last night I refused to come today because the man who I will be testifying against is in Monrovia and it’s where you all are carrying me. He’s well known. However, the people promised me protection; that’s why I’m here.”

David said he has refused to play the popular singer’s cassette. “I don’t want to hear it at all to my righteous God because as a Bassa, he should not have killed his tribesmen, rather protected them.” He said at the time he was quite young; but when questioned by one of the Commissioners as to whether if he saw a photograph of the Liberia singer he would recognize it, he would recognize it, he replied in the affirmative.

At that junction, when one of the Commissioners exhibited a musical CD of Sundaygar Dearboy to him and asked, “Look at this; is that the same person you are talking about?” He immediately recognized the photograph as that of the former NPFL Commander.

“This is the man I’m taking about to my righteous God. That’s him here; but I don’t even want to hold the CD in my hand,” he said. Two other witnesses of the town, Emmanuel Jimmy and Paul Flomo accused Sundaygar Dearboy wanton destruction and rape during the period of the war.

Emmanuel Jimmy accused the musician of even raping his daughter Beamondyu, who at the time was 13 years old, and now resides in Harbel, Firestone; while Paul Flomo accused Sundaygar Dearboy of being the man behind the burning down of some 14 huts in Gardour Town, Grand Bassa County.

Mr. Flomo accused Sundaygar Dearboy as being responsible for the beating of his father, Alfred in 1994. His father later died on 8th February 1998. When questioned whether the beating was responsible for his father’s death, Paul could not really say, but did blame the death of his father on Sundaygar Dearboy.

The second witness, Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Walker, a Baptist prelate and head of the Lott Carey Baptist Mission, took the stand and gave a chronological history of the events from 1979 to 2003. He said he was prepared to be around to serve as a resource person if he was needed.

He accused the leader of the defunct rebel group, Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD), Sekou Damate Konneh for burning down educational facilities of the mission that he says has greatly affected the smooth operation of the institution.

Rev. Dr. Walker accused the defunct rebel group of using the campus of Lott Carey Baptist Mission as launching pad in its bid to capture Monrovia. He’s claiming reparation of over US$100,000. For him, it’s his own sense of reconciliation.

The third witness, Michael Biddle said his family lost their father, the late Cllr. Patrick Biddle, for an interview he granted the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in defense of soldiers loyal to the late President Samuel Doe. He refused to disclose the names of those who killed his father and chose to give them to the TRC in confidence.

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